Snow Globe Coca-Cola Cupcakes

Did I get your attention? I hope so. Because I’m guest blogging today on the website, Cupcakes Take the Cake! And to celebrate the occasion, I’m also having a giveaway on their blog. Visit them now and enter to win the most awesome baking cups ever (It’s really easy). This giveaway is shorter and ends Tuesday at midnight ET. I’ll announce the winner Wednesday morning right here on bakerella.com.

Now, if you stuck around, let me tell you about the cupcakes, just in case you don’t jump over to enter the giveaway.

The idea for these started with some really cute bottles of Coke that I bought from Wal-Mart recently. I had been trying to think of a way to make a snow globe cupcake for the holidays and these were just the perfect shape. And not only that, they also ended up being the inspiration for the actual cupcake design. Because what’s cuter than polar bears and Coca-Cola at Christmas. Well, probably lots of things, but that’s besides the point.

So, I took the labels off and cut off the tops with a box cutter. Actually, I asked someone with really strong, steady hands to do it for me. It took several attempts to get the opening the right size. About 2 1/4 inches in diameter seems to be pretty good.

With the theme in my mind, I remembered some cola-shaped gummy candies I had been eyeballing at the store recently. Now, I had a reason to buy them. So, off to Walgreen’s I went. (That’s a drugstore if you’re not familiar.)

And, since the theme would be based on the Coke Polar bears, I decided to tie it all together with a recipe for Cola Cake, straight from the source.

You can download a pdf of the recipe from Coca-Cola’s website. Go here and scroll down until you see Cola Cake. Click on the link and it will open a pdf that you can print. These were really good. I didn’t make the chocolate frosting they recommended with it because I needed snow. So, I used the buttercream frosting one that I use all the time and it worked perfectly.

Now, I had about 28 cupcakes in awesome red baking cups from confectioneryhouse.com, but I only used a few for the actual scene.

To make the bear:
I used rolled fondant and hand shaped the parts – similar to how I did this Care Bear Cupcake a while back except the polar bear is only about 2 inches tall. The eyes were black non-pareils and the noses were black candy heart sprinkles. The mouth was drawn with my ever-so-handy Americolor Edible Black Writing Pen. For the scarf, I bought red fondant this time, because it’s really hard to get the color deep red and I didn’t feel like mixing it and having my hands look stained.

To assemble the snow globe:
Make a sugar water spray (recipe here). Lightly mist the inside of the plastic bottle in the areas you want snow. Then, carefully sprinkle sugar inside. You will mostly want it on the sides, bottom, and back. Not too much in the front because you’ll want to see your design. Set the snow globe top aside.

Take one of your cupcakes, turn it upside down and carefully cut the bottom of the baking cup off. Then spread some buttercream frosting on the bottom (now, top) of your cupcake. Then, sprinkle some white sanding sugar on top of the frosting for texture. Place your assembled fondant bear right in the middle and attach one of the cola bottles with a little bit of water to help it stick. Then place the opening of the bottle right over the bear. The opening should be just large enough to rest on the cupcake without sliding all the way over it, like below.

P.S. Check out this month’s Iron Cupcake Challenge. I added these cupcakes to this month’s competition at the last minute, since the ingredient was Chocolate with a twist. I think these qualify. But, please vote for someone besides me since I won earlier this year. Voting starts soon here.

P.S.S. I have a winner to announce. Thanks to everyone who paid a visit to Cupcakes Take the Cake to send them their holiday wishes. It was so much fun reading them. Random.org and I just picked the winner from the 1,000+ comments. Let’s see who it is.

Congratulations Lisa! I hope you make lots of cute cupcakes with your new baking cups. And Merry Christmas to you, too!

These are the cutest, most creative cupcakes I have ever seen! And ALL of your cupcakes are creative, but I LOVE THESE!!! They look really complicated, but you make them sound easy. Thanks for sharing them! (I am posting about you on my blog — these are just too neat!)

I am in sugar shock over those globes. What on earth?! Do you lay awake at night dreaming of sweet confections? Those are amazing. I didn’t think I could love your blog anymore than those cupcake pops- but I am now on a new high!

those coke bottles are way too cute, and what a clever way to use them once they are done!! i haven’t seen them around, and i don’t shop at walmart…so we’ll see if i can ever get my hands on them before the holidays are over!

You are so very clever – you blow my mind with your creations! Although every time I read your blog I want to book a ticket to the US so I can source all of these awesome things :0)…Wishing you a Merry Christmas.

I absolutely love these cupcakes! I am extremely coca-cola obsessed!My room is done in coca-cola and when I get married I am transferring my bedroom stuff to my kitchen to decorate my kitchen in coca-cola! These are the cutest cupcakes I have ever seen!

Question: Are you still shooting with just the one Lowel Ego light, or did you end up buying a second?

I’m trying to make a decision on what to invest in for photographing my projects: A light tent and a couple of cheap clamp lights, or whether I should go all out and get the light you use… because your pics are always amazing.

I have a really hard time believing you only use the one light, some scrapbook paper, and automatic settings on your camera!!

You need to do a book!!!!! ASAP :) Honestly, your pics and ideas are some of the most creative and cutest that I have ever seen! Your pics are out of this world!! You have a ton of talent!!! that is for sure! These bears are sooooooo cute! thanks again for sharing. I love baking and I look forward to your blog everyweek! It always makes me smile and inspires me!!Please do a book! I think you have a ton of fans and on-line followers who would buy it in a second! Merry Christmas and hope to see lots of your great ideas in the new year!

Those snow globes are absolutely awesome. I have to ask you, were you in graphic design or were you an art student? Not only is your photography good but you have a brilliant sense of design, the typography, colours, clever insert of the candy cane, and the placement of items in your photos. I love coming to your blog just to see the photos!

I need to try the polar bears, maybe place them on a wintery birthday cake for my little brother’s birthday (in 6 days, eek!)

One of the things I really like about your blog is the quality of the pictures you take. Not only is the product you’re taking a picture of amazing, but the pictures themselves are very good. Do you take them all yourself?

Wow, you are amazing! These are the most creative cupcakes I’ve ever seen. I just made my first cupcake pops this weekend and they turned out great. I made them for my sister to go with a cupcake cookbook that I’m giving her for Christmas. Thanks for all the great inspiration!